How to Add Some Color and Style to Your Winter Wardrobe, While Getting Ready for Spring

The holidays are over, which means less stress, frenzied spending and travel. This is good. The bad news about this, however, is now we're just left with months of winter suck. It's one thing when it is cold and dreary but have Christmas music, parties to attend and pretty things to look at to warm your spirits. But when the ornaments have been put away, the tree thrown to the curb and credit card debt to pay off all you're really left with is a barren home, pine needles that you'll likely still be vacuuming up in June, and coldness. Sorry to be such a downer, but we're now in for the long haul. Winter just feels like that long stretch of endless, boring highway. If you live in a warm climate, well good for you, but winter can still be rough no matter where you live. Despite the temperature, the season can often feel like a buzzkill.

If my intro hasn't yet caused you to open a bottle of wine and forget it all until you see that first hint of spring, I have some ideas for you that you can apply to your wardrobe to not only add a little style to get you through this season but that can also prepare you for spring. Below are outfit suggestions that will not only add some color and style to your winter wardrobe, but include items that you can wear now and when the weather gets warmer.

How to Add Some Color and Style to Your Winter Wardrobe, While Getting Ready for Spring

Outfit #1- Buy a brightly printed top

So you're sick of your winter wardrobe but you don't want to buy anything that you'll only wear a few months. Here's a solution, pick up a printed blouse, like this one from J. Crew. Stores are starting to show early transition and spring already (I know, don't get me started) and many retailers have smartened up and made their early spring deliveries more wear-now. All you have to do is know what to do with these pieces once you get them home to guarantee maximum wear.

On the left, I styled this top for winter using a navy pencil skirt from Reiss, a pair of navy booties from Circa Joan & David, a navy Banana Republic scarf, green handbag, lapis earrings and long gold necklace.

For spring, you could keep the outfit exactly the same and just remove the scarf, booties and navy tights and change your shoes for a pair of springier pair, or you could also wear this top with a pair of white jeans, like these from Michael Kors, a navy pair of Tory Burch flip flops, a gold handbag, gold Stella & Dot chandelier earrings and a gold Bauble Bar bangle.

Outfit #2- A colorful dress

Buy this cobalt blue Boden dress and wear it now with the right winter accessories, like this black cardigan, rich Modcloth necklace, orange handbag and black boots. The dress will most definitely cure the winter blues when you wear it.

What I like most about dresses is, depending on how they are styled, they can be worn most of the year. Take, for example, how I styled this same dress in a more springy manner with a pair of printed pumps from Nordstrom, a bright pink handbag, turquoise earrings from Max & Chloe.

Outfit #3- New bright t-shirts

T-shirts are so seasonless. In the winter you can use them to layer under things and in the summer they can be worn alone. Winter is a great time to refresh your t-shirt stash with some bright colors, like this green one from Modcloth. Not only is the green adding some brightness to this more somber winter look, consisting of a Reiss cardgian, Gap jeans, cognac Vince Camuto handbag and Lauren Ralph Lauren booties, neutral earrings and scarf that picks up all the colors of the outfit, but the winter layers can easily be pulled away to create a spring/summer outfit using the same Tory Burch flip flops, gold handbag and this pendant necklace from Bauble Bar.

Outfit #4- Colored pants

If you have a lot of neutral colored sweaters, purchasing a pair of colored pants, like these from Boden, may be just the shot in the arm your winter style needs while also getting you ready for spring. On the left, I used a grey belted cardigan and grounded the pants with my favorite Vince Camuto Ellen flats in burgundy, a wine colored handbag and chandelier earrings. On the right, I swapped out the cardigan for a navy belted top from eShakti, added some colorful bracelets for additional pop, gold earrings, a soft blue handbag and those same Tory Burch flip flops.

Outfit #5- Skirts in prints and patterns

Skirts, like dresses, can get a lot of use because, with just a switch of how they are styled, they can go from cold to warm weather. Take, for example, this Jones NY skirt that is winterized, but still peppy, with a J. Crew blazer, black boots I used earlier, a pop of pink via the tank and handbag, gold earrings and this chunky black and pearl necklace from Ann Taylor. With tights, this outfit can hold up well on cooler days.

For spring, the skirt still works. Instead of a peek of pink, I added this fuchsia sleeveless top, a black clutch from Rebecca Minkoff, earrings and strappy black shoes from Steve Madden.

Yes, it will be cold and dark for a while. We'll all get through it together. In the meantime, however, don't discount your wardrobe, and the little colorful additions you can make, to not only add some cheer when it's cold but save you money as you prepare for the upcoming spring season.